Just Thanks
by SNIVELLUSisGOD
Summary: SpoilersDirectly after DH, before epilogue.  tameSLASH, DracoHarry.  Draco just wanted to say thanks.  R


The corridors of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were completely were still and quiet. This was a stark contrast to the commotion and chaos they held just hours previously. The sounds of celebration and mourning were confined to the Great Hall. Only a faint echo of the noise could be heard through the doors.

Nearly all who survived the battle remained in the Great Hall crying over dead loved-ones and exclaiming their joy. It was bittersweet. How could so many deaths lead up to such a great thing?

A man, age seventeen, sat silently on the marble staircase away from the doors to the hall, away from everything. His head was tucked in to his lap while his hands were buried in his jet-black hair, grasping absentmindedly.

Harry Potter didn't know what to do. It was over. All over. So many people, amazing and heroic people, were dead, and he couldn't even cry. He felt numb to it all. He felt like his entire life had led up to this very day. He almost felt empty, like now he was nothing, but at the same time he was filled with every emotion imaginable. Everything was unreal. It was almost like all of his conflicting emotions canceled each other out. The only feeling he could distinguish was exhaustion. He was so tired.

As Harry dozed off in his awkward position, he didn't hear noise spill out of the Great Hall briefly and the door shutting again or footsteps nearing him.

"Potter?"

He simultaneously jumped up and pulled out his wand defensively. Just as quickly, he shoved the wand back into his pocket but remained standing.

"You just scared the shit out of me," he snapped.

"Obviously. What'd you think? The Dark Lord returned to life?"

"You're not funny, Malfoy. What do you want?"

"Well," Draco began, starring at what seemed to be a very fascination rip in Harry's shirt, clearly discomposed, "I just kind of wanted to talk to you for a couple minutes. Is that alright?"

Suddenly noised spilled into the hall once again.

"Alone?" Draco added.

"Hurry and get under," Harry whispered whilst pulling a silvery cloak out of his pocket.

Harry wasn't really curious about whatever Draco had to say to him or his request to be alone. He only agreed because he didn't want whoever had exited the Great Hall to find him. He really wasn't it the mood to talk to or face anyone. Although Draco wasn't included in that because Harry wasn't expecting some deep, significant, or sad conversation from him.

They snuck up the staircase and into a deserted corridor. Rubble and debris were strewn everywhere, and the ceiling looked like it was ready to collapse in some places. Harry hoped that the fight hadn't destroyed too much of his home.

Harry saw a familiar tapestry that, when pulled back, led to a secret staircase.

"Here, let's go back there in case anyone comes up."

They sat down next to each other on a rather small staircase, still under and the cloak and almost uncomfortably close.

"This cloak is amazing. They're really rare, Invisibility Cloaks."

"Just get to whatever you have to say, Malfoy."

"Oh, well... You know," Draco began, unsure of what to say.

"Na, I don't." Harry didn't help him along.

"You're... You're alright, Potter. Okay? You're really alright."

"Gee, Malfoy, that was certainly the highest compliment I've ever received."

"Can you shut up for a few seconds so I can finish?" Draco spat. Although he immediately regretted his anger. He muttered, "Sorry," before continuing.

"You saved my life... Twice... When you shouldn't have. Nobody would have really." He looked like every word was costing him something. "Not even the Death Eaters would have bothered, even if they didn't have anything to risk or didn't have to go out of their way." He paused and took a deep breath. "There I was trying to throw you off your plans, like always, and still you saved my life. All I've ever done is try to beat you at something or mess things up for you... Mind you, it never really worked... But yet, there you went, taking the time to get me out of the Room alive. I just don't get you... Really, why are you and your mates so bloody noble?" Draco finished somewhat rudely as if he had to throw something in there not-so-complimentary to remain dignified.

Harry didn't reply. He sat there stunned. Was Draco, however indirectly, saying thanks?

"Er... That's all, I guess." Draco made to stand up, but Harry grabbed his arm and yanked him back down into a sitting position.

"Um." Harry began just as unsure as Draco was when he started talking. "You're not so bad either, Malfoy,"

"Don't bother, Potter. You don't have to lie because I said what I said. It's fine. I'm plenty bad." Although he sound liked he very much wished he weren't.

"No, really, you aren't so bad. I mean, obviously you weren't taking down Death Eaters left and right within the ranks... But... You could've killed Dumbledore last year, but you didn't. Well, he was going to die anyway, but that is beside the point. I thought about it a bit after everything happened, and I realized stuff about you. You were stuck in a bad place, and there was no way you could get out... Unless you got killed, of course. But you didn't seem too keen on what you're job was when it got down to it. You just did what you did to stay alive, like most people would've."

"You wouldn't have," Draco interjected. What Harry was saying made him feel worse.

"Well, I'm odd like that... Or at least a goblin told me I was."

"I think you've just got this Gryffindor thing going and some hero complex."

"Hah... I suppose. But even though you're a git, you're alright too... Oh and so is you're mum."

"What!" Draco yelled while standing up.

"Nooo." Harry began to laugh. The muscles in his face used to smile felt stuff from neglect.

"I just meant that," he began quicky, very aware of Draco's wand pointing at his face, but still laughing,"your mum lied for me."

"What?" Draco repeated much more calmly and concerned. He sat down as Harry began speaking.

"Back when I was down in the forest with Voldemort and his mates she lied to him. After he cast the Killing Curse on me he told her to check to see if I was dead. She came over, and I thought I was done. But while she checked to see if I was breathing, which I obviously was, she just asked me if you were alive. I told her you were, and she told Voldemort I was dead. I know she just did it to see you, but I'm still grateful.

"She never said anything about any of that."

Yeah... So you two are alright."

"You know, I never thought you'd think I was 'alright'" Draco smirked, "Not that I care though."

"Don't get too full of yourself," Harry joked, "You're not that hot."

Draco sat straighter and flashed Harry another smirk. "Don't deny it. You know you want this."

And they both laughed. It wasn't that funny, but they both needed to be light-hearted, even if it was just for a brief time.

Slowly they quieted down, and the atmosphere thickened considerably. Had they just shared a 'friend-type moment'"? They thought made them both uncomfortable.

Harry quickly became aware that the proximity between them was miniscule. Their thighs and knees were pressed up against each other's, and their faces were a mere foot apart. Harry could feel Draco's warm breath on his face. He faintly wondered why he hadn't noticed how close they were before, but his mind didn't dwell on it. His head was becoming increasingly foggier, his thoughts jumbled, and all he could focus on was Draco's face.

Draco's usually pale face was flushed because of the heat between them. He was nibbling lightly on his bottom lip causing it to redden. Somehow his face wasn't as pointy as Harry had always thought it was. The only thing that broke the silence between them was their steady breathing.

Harry was pushed out of his thoughts by the slow motion of Draco's face inching toward his.

"What ar--," Harry managed before he was cut off by Draco's lips being firmly pressed upon his own.

"Oh shit. I shouldn't have done that," Draco apologized after immediately recoiling.

"No, Draco, it's--." But Draco never found out exactly what is was because Harry didn't bother finishing his sentence. Rather than completing his thought, he returned the kiss.

When Draco didn't pull away, Harry took that as a signal to deepen it. Draco seemed briefly surprised when Harry's tongue found its way into his mouth. He responded to Harry's initiative by placing his hand on Harry's back and gently pushing their bodies as close and possible.

The kiss wasn't very good. In fact, it was almost as hard as first kisses usually are, even though they both had experience. Both men shifted positions multiple times, as if trying to make the strangeness of it all disappear.

Even though it was utterly foreign and Harry and Draco felt like they had no idea what they were doing, they enjoyed it and were very enthusiastic.

They didn't love each other. They barely even liked one another at all. It just felt like, at that very moment, it was all they wanted to do. It was a strange and adventurous escape from the crumbled world that they were surrounded by.

When hands started wandering too far and skin made contact with skin, they broke apart. Both of their breathing sounded like that had just run a long distance.

"We should go," Harry said.

"Yeah," Draco agreed.

Neither could look each other straight in the eye. They were afraid that if they made eye contact it would make what they did real.

With flushed faces, bruised necks, and raw lips, they made their way back to the Great Hall, ready for whatever awaited them there.

* * *

A/N: I'm really curious about what people think of this one, so please review!


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